ANKARA (CIHAN) - The Turkish Police Deputy Chief Ramazan Er told a press conference on Friday that police negligence did not play a part in yesterday's blasts in Istanbul and Ankara. Er also denied the existence of any illegal grouping within the Turkish Security Authority.
Referring to yesterday's blast in Istanbul that killed four and wounded 20 and the blast in Ankara outside the Hilton Hotel where US President George Bush will be staying, Ramazan Er said that the Turkish Police were not at fault. "These incidents can occur anywhere in the world," he said. Er also denied reports that a police officer had kicked the suspicious package in Ankara causing it to explode.
Ramazan Er said that all necessary security measures had been taken taken ahead of the visit of the US President George W. Bush and the NATO summit in Ankara. Deputy Police Chief Er said that the Istanbul blast had been caused by an ultra-leftist terrorist organization.
Er dismissed reports that there is an illegal grouping within the Turkish Security Authority. Some Turkish papers have claimed that yesterday's Turkish National Security Council meeting discussed the existence of an illegal grouping within the Turkish Security Authority.
Turkish police have taken unprecedented security measures for the NATO summit that will bring the leaders of 46 countries including US President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac together in Istanbul.
Nearly three thousand delegates from 46 countries and 3500 journalists are expected to arrive in Turkey to assist at the summit.
Nearly 20 thousand security personnel will be on duty during the summit.